Paste the pattern pieces onto cardboard and cut out to make templates for your pieces. Lay your templates on the wrong side of the fabric, matching the arrows to the pile of your fur. (PILE is the direction in which the fur lies.)

Trace the pieces and transfer all pattern markings to the fabric using a permanent marker. Test your pen first to see that it doesn’t show through to the right side of the fabric.

Using a very fine, sharp pair of scissors, cut out your pieces, remember to cut ONLY the backing material, not the fur!

Pin the head pieces together and sew from the nose to the neck.

Pin the gusset in place and sew from the nose to the to the back of the head down the one side. Repeat for the other side, from the nose to the back of the neck on the other side. This keeps your teddy’s face even. (I like to sew the teddy by machine because it goes quicker, but I find I have to sew around the nose by hand when I sew the gusset in place because it’s a bit awkward on the machine.)

Turn the head right side out fill the head firmly, especially the snout area. This is really important for when you are sewing on the facial features later.

Push a cotter pin and washer through the neck disc and place this in the head opening. Use strong thread, run a gathering stitch around the neck opening. Pull the fabric in around the cotter pin, secure the thread well, tie off and sew threads back inside the head.

Pin and sew the darts on both of the body pieces. Sew the body pieces right sides together, leaving the gap at the back for stuffing your bear.

Pin and sew the ears. Leave the flat edge open for turning. Turn edges under and stitch the ears closed with a ladder stitch.

Use a gathering stitch along the base of the ear to gather it a bit. Position the ears on the head and sew them in place with a ladder stitch. Position the top and bottom edge of the ears slightly forward to create a curve in the ears.

Pins in the Teddy!

Use black-headed pins to experiment with eye positioning. When you are happy with the “look” of the eyes, mark their position with your permanent marker.”

Use dental tape to sew the eyes on. Pass this tape through the wire loop of each glass eye, and then squeeze the loop closed with pliers. Sew each eye in place using a long needle, pulling the wire loop of the eye through the seam stitching on the head. Make sure both strands of tape come out of the head just above the neck disc, and quite close together. Tie the tape from both eyes together, pulling them tightly so that the eyes are pulled into the head a bit. Tie them securely and sew them back inside the head.

Sew the mouth in the shape of an upside down “Y” then cut a piece of felt the shape of the nose that you want. I find a rectangle ends up becoming rounded at each end as I sew which forms a nice rounded nose shape.

It’s not Teddy Surgery

Start in the center and use satin stitch sewing to the one side first. Go back to the center and sew out to the other side.

(This photo shows you how to bend a cotter pin open, then how to curl each side back on itself.)

Turn the body right sides out.

Push the extended part of the cotter pin, of the head, into the seam at the top of the body. Slip another disc and washer over the cotter pin, from inside the body, then use your pliers to bend the cotter pin open like this photo.

With right sides together sew the leg pieces together, from the toe around the top of the leg to the heel. Leave the flat edge open! Pin and sew the foot pad in place, then repeat for the other leg. Use really sharp scissors to snip a hole open on the inside of each leg. Turn the leg right side out through this hole. Stuff each leg firmly then Slip a washer and a leg disc onto a cotter pin and place this inside the leg opening.

Making sure the leg is firmly stuffed, tuck in the raw edges of the hole you cut and sew this closed with a ladder stitch. Pull the thread tightly to make the stitches invisible. Tie off the thread tightly and sew the ends back into the leg.

Take the body and push the cotter pin of one completed leg through the leg position marking of the body. (You may need to make a little hole with the sharp scissors first.)

Slip another disc and washer over the cotter pin from inside the body and bend the cotter pin, as before. Do the same with the other leg.

With right sides together sew the arm pieces together, right around the whole arm without leaving a gap. Repeat for the other arm.

Use really sharp scissors to snip a hole open on the inside of each arm. Turn the arm right side out through this hole. Stuff each arm firmly then slip an arm disc and washer onto a cotter pin and place this inside the opening on the arm.

Making sure the arm is firmly stuffed, tuck in the raw edges of the hole you cut and sew this closed with a ladder stitch. Pull the thread tightly to make the stitches invisible. Tie off the thread tightly and sew the ends back into the arm.

Take the body and push the cotter pin of the arm through the arm position marking of the body. (You may need to make a little hole with the sharp scissors first.)

Slip another disc and washer over the cotter pin from inside the body and bend the cotter pin, as before. Do the same with the other arm.

Sewing up the Teddy Close

Fill the body firmly and sew the opening closed at the back with ladder stitching. Pull the stitches tightly to make them invisible.

Comments

The cotter pin instructions are too difficult….I have been making teddies for years…but still need to use other types of joints….I didn’t understand the cotter pin instructions at all. I do know what cotter pins are…but feel I would need someone to be hands on for me to get it…..

I loved this project, made the bear for my girlfriend and she loved it nor did she believe that i made it at first lol but non the less it was easyish and my first time making something like this and i was really pleased how it turned out =]

I made this for my three best friends and they thought that it was an absolute winning store bought prize! They kept it to this day and keep it under their pillows. I can’t wait to make another! Hope you enjoy it if you make it!

Great and easy to make. 14 years old, made two for my best friends and 1 for my nanna and 1 for my mum. I had to join the legs, arms and head on with stitches because I have no clue how to do the joining, but it looks perfect. Thank you for such an adorable pattern! Made a wonderful Chrissy present!

I am in LOVE and this Christmas I want more than anything to give that special someone a gift, however my funds currently hitting a low point. As I sat in bed pondering what I can give her that would show my Love, I came up with a crazy idea. Ill make her a Teddy Bear! I Googled “How to sew a teddy bear” and came up with this. I must say Thank you so very much. This is Brilliant. The instructions are a little tough to follow but I shall do my best. It might help to post a video of you making one of these. Again Thank you ..PS I became a member of this site just to thank you lol, but I see cool stuff here.

This pattern makes a cute little teddy and it is definately suitable for sewing beginners. I managed to finish my first (!) bear I ever sew in under 2 days and it turned out very nice. Thumbs up for this project

A little hard to follow but otherwise I loved it!!! Nice job it’s so cute and I’m sure that my little cousin Sophia will love it! I might sew it but I might find something else on the same or a different website. I have also used knitting patterns. :):):)